Viewers will be introduced to Scott Calvin's daughter Sandra in The Santa Clauses, who will be played by Tim Allen's actual daughter Elizabeth Allen-Dick. While speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Allen talked about working with his daughter in the upcoming Disney+ series.
Originally, Allen was hoping for his daughter to have a small appearance as one of Santa's elves at the North Pole. "But as she was reading for that, she read so well that they said, 'We'd like to read her for more of a part,'" said Allen. "I said, 'Whatever you want to do. I want nothing to do with it. I don't want to pitch my daughter for a part in the [series].' But she ended up moving to the high ranks. They loved how she read, loved it so much, because she's playing a 13-year-old girl and she is 13. They ended up casting her as Santa's daughter. It was a surprise but it became the most amazing experience."
Sandra was born after the events of The Santa Clause film trilogy. Audiences were previously introduced to Scott's oldest son Charlie (Eric Lloyd), who played a big role in the first two films. In the original 1994 film, Charlie is the one who convinces Scott to put on the Santa suit and deliver the Christmas presents after the previous Santa fell off his roof. Throughout the film, Charlie is the one person who believes in his father to take up the mantle of Santa Claus. In 2002's The Santa Clause 2, Scott is concerned about Charlie, after he is put on the naughty list. This leads to him getting closer to Charlie's principal Carol Newman (Elizabeth Mitchell), who he eventually marries and who becomes Mrs. Claus. At the end of 2006's The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause, Scott's other son Buddy was born. Buddy will be played by Austin Kane in The Santa Clauses.
In The Santa Clauses, Scott has decided that it is now time to retire from being Santa, and give his youngest two children a chance to experience a normal life outside of the North Pole. Throughout the series, Scott looks for the right person to take up the mantle of Santa. While speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Allen also talked about Sandra's role in the series, and what it was like to have his daughter play the character. "I don't want to give too much away, but she doesn't want to go," said Allen. "So I tell her, 'Being afraid is okay as long as we can be afraid together.' Even saying the line, I get a little choked up. I looked right at her. One of my photographer buddies was shooting and said it was tear-jerking to watch. I said, 'Well, I'm looking at my kid.'"
The Santa Clauses is scheduled to premiere on November 16 on Disney+. The original film trilogy is currently available to stream on the service. In the meantime, check out a trailer for The Santa Clauses below: